Civil Society Engagement in Anti-Corruption Crusade: Protecting the Whistle Blower
Civil Society Engagement in Anti-Corruption Crusade:
Protecting the Whistle Blower
By
Hon. (Dr) Okezie Kelechukwu (Executive Director, Neighbourhood Environment Watch Foundation/ newebonyi@yahoo.com
Being a paper presented at A 3-Day International Conference on Corruption, Governance and Development in Nigeria held at the Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Research and Training Mambayya House Bayero University, Kano in Conjunction with UNECA & UNDP, December 6 – 8, 2011
.
Abstract
Corruption has been painted as a horrible monster. Every attempt to tame or destroy it has resulted in the monster destroying the agency or institution fighting it. Agencies created by government to fight corruption, with passage of time becomes ineffectual, a tool of the government to witch-hunt perceived enemies or become corrupt in themselves, making corruption to continue unabated. For effective fight and control of the monster, those who bear the brunt of corruption - the citizens- need to own and prosecute the war as it obtains in other countries such as Singapore. But engaging the citizens demands that their capacity be built around anti-corruption, to resist, report and fight corruption. Engaging the citizens demand that the civil society and non-governmental organisations spearhead and lead the crusade because revolutions, as recorded in history were never led by the multitude but by the few activists who were fired by their passion in the pursuit of their vision. However, the civil society groups have low capacity to lead the fight as most of them lack legitimacy and transparency. Again, they operate in the same environment where corruption thrives. The whistle-blower operates in an insecure environment and the insecurity associated with whistleblowing has made most
Protecting the Whistle Blower
By
Hon. (Dr) Okezie Kelechukwu (Executive Director, Neighbourhood Environment Watch Foundation/ newebonyi@yahoo.com
Being a paper presented at A 3-Day International Conference on Corruption, Governance and Development in Nigeria held at the Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Research and Training Mambayya House Bayero University, Kano in Conjunction with UNECA & UNDP, December 6 – 8, 2011
.
Abstract
Corruption has been painted as a horrible monster. Every attempt to tame or destroy it has resulted in the monster destroying the agency or institution fighting it. Agencies created by government to fight corruption, with passage of time becomes ineffectual, a tool of the government to witch-hunt perceived enemies or become corrupt in themselves, making corruption to continue unabated. For effective fight and control of the monster, those who bear the brunt of corruption - the citizens- need to own and prosecute the war as it obtains in other countries such as Singapore. But engaging the citizens demands that their capacity be built around anti-corruption, to resist, report and fight corruption. Engaging the citizens demand that the civil society and non-governmental organisations spearhead and lead the crusade because revolutions, as recorded in history were never led by the multitude but by the few activists who were fired by their passion in the pursuit of their vision. However, the civil society groups have low capacity to lead the fight as most of them lack legitimacy and transparency. Again, they operate in the same environment where corruption thrives. The whistle-blower operates in an insecure environment and the insecurity associated with whistleblowing has made most
References: Adam, Paul (19950 Nigeria: Next Pariah? African Report, May-June African Charter on Human & Peoples Rights (1986) International Commission of Jurists, Nairobi Alagappa, Muthiah (2004). Civil Society and Political Change in Asia. Standford University Press Churchill Winston (2007) in Speeches That Changed the World Dike, Victor E (2009) Corruption in Nigeria: A New paradigm for Effective Control. Online Publication. Nigeriaworld.com/feature/article/corruption.html Edwards, Michael (2004) Emmanuel Afe Babalola(2007) Transparency: Today and Tomorrow in ICPC Monitor Vol 1 issue 3, August-October Flyvbjerg, Bent et all (1998) Thinkers for Civil Society? in British Journal of Sociology, vol Global Integrity Report (2009) online report: http://report.globalintegrity.org. Hemmati, Minu. Dodds, et all.(1999) downloadable copy of Multistakeholder Processes for Governance and Sustainability:Beyond Deadlock and Conflict. Shleifer, Andrew & Vishay R (1993) Corruption Quarterly Journal of Economics. UNODC (2010) West Africa: Where Drugs, Organised Crime and Corruption Converge in United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report Wales Jimmy & Sanger L (2001) Wikipedia Free Web based Encyclopaedia. Whaites, Alan (1998) NGOs, Civil Society and the State: Avoiding theoretical extremes in Real World Issues, ' Development in Practice.